Rafinha granted German passport
FC Bayern München full-back Rafinha is now eligible to play for Germany after acquiring German citizenship.
'Very happy in Germany'
The 30-year-old already has two senior international caps for his native Brazil, but world football’s governing body, FIFA, stipulates that a player can represent another country if s/he has been resident there for more than five years.
"I've been in Germany for 10 years," Rafinha explained ahead of Bayern's UEFA Champions League clash with GNK Dinamo Zagreb. "I've wanted it a long time, for me and my family. I’m very happy in Germany."
Rafinha, who first moved to Germany with FC Schalke 04 in 2005, joined Bayern in 2011 following a season-long stint in Italy with Genoa CFC. To date, he has scored nine goals and chipped in with 32 assists in 256 Bundesliga appearances.
Read our preview of Bayern's clash with Zagreb here.
